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Half units

ailsa12

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
MODY
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hey, so I am a 'atypical type 1' . I take novo rapid and lantus but have found that over the past few months my ratio is getting lower and lower (at the moment I take 1 unit of insulin for 12 g carb) I get low quite easily but taken a whole unit less makes me really high so I'm thinking about trying to get a half unit pen. At the moment I am using a novoflexpen so i would have to change my whole insulin perscription. Has anyone else done this? how easy is it and did It make a big difference or am I just being a bit ocd about levels?
 

Hi ailsa12, no your ocd at all. I have had a 1/2 unit pen for few years now and my DSN gave me two new pens, the ECHO and it's a great pen, easy to use and at the end of the pen ( pull it out and push back in) you can see your last Insulin dose and the time factor ( like a sun dial) I find it invaluable
Good luck
 
Yep, I have the Noveopen Echo too and it's great to be able to do half unit doses

You should be able to get them on prescription no problem
 
Did you get given the pen or did you ahve to bye it? I'm not really in touch with any DSN's I do almost everything on my own. my HBA1c is at 41 right now but I don't know when I hypo so I want to switch
 
Yes I had the Demi pen which I found brilliant. (Now on a pump). My DSN gave me one a couple of years' ago. Hope you can get one from GP or hospital
 
I've got a half unit pen, asked our doctors for one and they said they didn't know of any such thing but would refer me to a consultant, went to the hospital appointment and they sorted me out. So a bit of a faff for me but worth it in the end!
 
I couldn't live without my echo. Most of my doses are half units. Corrections as well. I have the echo but had to pay for it but invaluable. I paid $50 well spent dollars.
 
BeccyB said:
Yep, I have the Noveopen Echo too and it's great to be able to do half unit doses

You should be able to get them on prescription no problem
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I believe the echo is for the basal dose of Levimer only and not the fast acting. As I had one for years
 
Echo is fine for fast acting too was given one by diabetes nurse last week.
 
ailsa12 said:
Did you get given the pen or did you ahve to bye it? I'm not really in touch with any DSN's I do almost everything on my own. my HBA1c is at 41 right now but I don't know when I hypo so I want to switch
Click to expand...

Your Dr can prescribe the NovoPen Echo, I had mine on repeat prescription.
 
The echo is for novolog in the US. I cannot get 1/2 unit pens for lantus. Shame
 
So
noblehead said:
Your Dr can prescribe the NovoPen Echo, I had mine on repeat prescription.
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so do I. It has malfunctioned twice, just the part that tells you your last dose but the company replaced it free of charge both times. I did buy a back up just in case. I learned to have back ups when I dropped my meter in the toilet at an event I didn't want to take my BS in front of everyone. Now I have 3 meters. Haha. Lesson learned
 

Always keep back-ups, like all devices pens and bg meters can and do malfunction.
 
ailsa12 said:
my HBA1c is at 41 right now but I don't know when I hypo so I want to switch
Click to expand...

If you have lost your hypo awareness you should really ask your GP for a referral to a consultant - once you have that you will have access to a DSN and they will want to help you manage your levels safely when you have no hypo warnings. It's pretty cr*p having no hypo awareness and your GP will recognise it as a pretty significant indication that your diabetes isn't being well managed & they will want to refer you to a specialist to help with that.
 
ailsa12 said:
Did you get given the pen or did you ahve to bye it? I'm not really in touch with any DSN's I do almost everything on my own. my HBA1c is at 41 right now but I don't know when I hypo so I want to switch
Click to expand...

My DSN, at my doctors surgery wrote out a prescription for me, I don't pay for any medication. I don't see her very often, but when I do, she is always supportive and helpful. Good luck.
 
I had the same issue Ailsa, and I've found the Novopen Echo is fantastic! As another poster has said, it records your last injection (units and how many hrs ago) great if you ever forget whether or not you've injected! Really easy to use and change cartridges too. My DSN requested it on prescription for me. I would ask your GP in the first instance, and if no luck, ask for an appointment with the diabetes clinic at your local hospital. You could even phone your hospital to speak to them and ask for an appt, and pen. It sounds like you would really benefit from the half units
good luck x x

Sent from my SM-G920F using Diabetes.co.uk Forum mobile app
 
hey, my problem tends to be that my control is so tight I am too used to being in the 4's to recognised the dips all the time. I saw a consultant recently who told me I need to get on top of it and have a higher Hba1c but I would rather kep it as tight as it is and use a half unit pen.
 
noblehead said:
Always keep back-ups, like all devices pens and bg meters can and do malfunction.
Click to expand...
I have three blood glucose meters incase I drop one while kayaking in the river! and my pens so far are disposible ones so I have a fridge full of pens!
 
I got a Echo from my DSN with a perscription for a Second, only use it for my fast acting, could not do with out it now.
 
Hi. Yes, the Novo Nordisk Echo 4 (now 5?) is great for 1/2 units and uses replaceable cartridges. It can also be used with Levemir of course. My DN gave me mine on prescription and I bought a spare on eBay.
 
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